A problem often arises when a user of a toilet requires to dispose of a sanitary napkin but is left with no appropriate means to do so. It is not possible to flush the napkin down the toilet, as such items have a tendency of blocking the sewerage pipes.
In some instances to avoid the problem of pipe blockage, the sanitary napkin is disposed of in a standard waste bin, that is normally found in most bathrooms and public washroom facilities. Nonetheless, this disposal of the sanitary napkin into the waste bin presents its own problems, including that of foul odors and public health, as the sanitary napkin has the potential to become a source of infection and disease once soiled.
Further, disposing of the sanitary napkin in the waste bin creates an unsightly and perhaps embarrassing situation for a subsequent user of the bathroom, especially if the waste bin is of the type without a lid.
Previously, to deal with these problems discussed above, special receptacle containers separate from the standard waste bin, were installed in the bathroom. These specially provided for containers are characterized by being of a relatively elongated rectangular shape. The container is normally floor-standing and with a flip-top flap which is lifted open to deposit the sanitary napkin into the container.
Such containers however do not provide a secure or controlled environment for the disposal of the sanitary napkin. The lid of the container is easily left open once the deposit of the sanitary napkin has taken place.
Further, such containers are of relatively large dimensions, so as to accommodate adequate amounts of napkins. This bulky size tends to clutter up space in the bathroom.
These types of containers are required to be of such dimensions, as there is no effort made in the container to compress the sanitary items together. As the sanitary napkins are not compressed together there tends to be an excessive volume of waste within the container.
A still further problem with these containers, is that the disposal bag in which the sanitary napkins will be deposited needs to be correctly aligned within the container. This lining of the disposal bag within the container may require some skill by the user, and at least has the potential to expose, those lining the bag to foul odours or bacteria found within the container.
Therefore, there still remains a need within the art for a sanitary disposal assembly that avoids the problems discussed above.
Hence, an object of this invention is to overcome or at least substantially ameliorate some of the shortcomings discussed above of sanitary disposal assemblies, or at least provide the public with a sanitary disposal assembly that is a useful alternative to existing disposal arrangements that are available.